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OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 1, 2009 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Keep hope alive at Easter Easter is a time to look ahead with hope for new beginnings in an environment that is less harsh than the cold and dark of winter. Despite impending gloom settling in daily from all quadrants of the globe, the hope of the season remains palpable at Oakville's Fareshare food bank. Food bank volunteers are keeping with the spirit of the season and rolling up their sleeves for the annual Easter Food Drive. They hope it will be busy. They hope donations will be brisk. They hope the community of Oakville and those who may be riding a more fortunate tide during the ongoing economic storm, will count their blessings and dig in to make tough times a little less dire for those experiencing a rough ride. Food bank officials are doing what they do best -- looking into the face of adversity and doing their part to help. They are facing the very real possibility that while the shelves may not go bare, they may become a little less bountiful than they have in Fareshare's history of two decades. At the same time, they are remaining optimistic and cleaving to the hope of the season -- and the history of the town -- that the community, which has always been so supportive of both the food bank's efforts and fellow citizens in need, will come through once again. Often, it's when times are toughest that a person's mettle shines. Oakville residents have a rich history of helping their neighbours in times of trouble. Fareshare's Easter Food Drive kicks off Saturday and continues to Sunday, April 19. As numbers of clients continue to climb, it's hoped residents will donate at the food bank located at 1240 Speers Rd., Unit 6, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday to Saturday or at any Oakville fire station or supermarkets where Fareshare has collection bins. Monetary donations are also more than welcome. This Easter, amid the despair of the financial markets, keep the market shelves full for those in need and fill a basket for Fareshare as well as the Easter bunny. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Not guilty verdict difficult to understand A year ago, I had to tell my two girls that their cousin, Drew Hildebrand, was gone. This week, I had to tell them that the person who was accused of the crime of hurting him, would be going home. A decision we are still questioning. I feel enormous heart-break over this decision. I see the pain on my sister's face. I see the disbelief on the faces of my family members who are reeling. I see disappointment and shock from the kids who testified in court that someone had hurt their friend. I see a mix of anger and sadness in grandparents told their stories, yet somehow justice was not served. It's difficult to try and explain why to them. Why is the question that we are all struggling with. Nothing changes the fact that we had a 16-year-old taken from our lives. Forever. A year ago this very weekend, my nephew Drew was hospitalized with a head injury. He never regained consciousness and we never got to say goodbye or tell him that we loved him. The decision to acquit the youth who was tried for this crime, was truly a decision we will never understand. Drew, we do not forget. We'll be missing you. CINDY SIMMONS This week's poll This week's question is: Mayor Rob Burton recently told the Oakville Chamber of Commerce the economy was showing signs of recovery. Do you agree? · Yes · No To vote, visit oakvillebeaver.com Last week's poll: Which level of government is responding better to the struggling economy? · Federal Conservatives 62.26% · Ontario Liberals 7.55% · Neither 30.19% Total votes: 53 votes Drew Hildebrand who feel that our court system let us, and Drew, down. Many believed, and clung to the fact, that justice would be served, as long as the truth was told. They Earth Hour participation disappointing As you know, Earth Hour was March 28 at 8:30 p. m. Our family turned off all the lights, but I was shocked at what I saw on my street. Many houses were still brightly lit up. I didn't really like that. Being green is important because I am going to grow up on this Earth. I am disappointed that so many people don't care enough to turn their lights off for even one hour. ANDREW O'BRIEN, 12 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.